Homegrown hits: Scotty P’s

Closest to our neighborhood: Only one in Dallas: Preston and Forest; the rest are in Dallas suburbs

Company philosophy: “We are, by definition, a family restaurant that’s marketed toward families,” says Chris Pontikes, who co-owns Scotty P’s with his brother, restaurant namesake and founder Scott Pontikes. Wherever families are, Chris Pontikes says, “we will go. At the same time, we’re not fast food, so it’s a mix — families that want to spend a little bit more on hamburgers and chicken sandwiches and salads.” Shopping centers with a grocery store have been a good home for Scotty P’s, Scott Pontikes says. “You might hit a grocery store a few times a week, so people see the sign and think of you.” Plus, he says, “a grocery store is a neighborhood place, and Scotty P’s is a neighborhood place.”

Expansion plans: Most of the restaurant’s name recognition is in the suburbs, Chris Pontikes says, but the families that live around the Preston-Forest location spurred the brothers to open that restaurant in September 2008.“I think the name recognition is now getting into Dallas,” he says. “Dallas is such a creature of habit, it’s taken a while to get us on the map of where people want to go.” Scotty P’s is waiting for the economy to improve before expanding elsewhere, but Dallas is on its radar, specifically Lake Highlands and Lakewood. “Lakewood is a great place to go,” Scott Pontikes says. “Friends in Lakewood have begged us to come down to Dallas, but we haven’t quite found the right location yet.”